Sustainable and Equitable Business Development

Last week, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, along with the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce held a forum focusing on business development issues within the City. As your Mayor, I’ve been committed to making Minneapolis the best, most attractive and successful place for all, including businesses that help boost our economy. As our city expands, we need to ensure the growth is both equitable and sustainable.

The progress we’ve made:

Investing in infrastructure

Secured a historic 20-year deal to rebuild and maintain city streets and parks.

Fighting for transit, bike/ped improvements, including when they were under attack on many fronts.

Growing small business

Started the Business Made Simple initiative to eliminate needless regulation. It helps strip away needless regulation, and funds special navigators who help small-business owners, many of them entrepreneurs of color who are driving our growth, get to yes.

The impact of these efforts is equivalent to removing over 1500 cars from Minneapolis streets.
This work has a disproportionately positive effect on communities of color that would otherwise bear the brunt of the impacts of global climate change.

Promoting Minneapolis to the rest of the world

Successfully landed major economy- and profile-boosting events including the 2018 Super Bowl, 2019 NCAA Final Four, and just right around the corner, the 2017 X Games.

However, there is more work still to come.

Focus on inclusive growth, including:

Doing more to support small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially those owned by people of color using city financial tools for business development in racially concentrated areas of poverty;

Supporting social enterprise;

Continuing to build on the City of Minneapolis’ power as a purchaser of goods and services to buy locally from businesses owned by women, immigrants, people of color, LGBT people

These successful partnerships between the City of Minneapolis and business of all shapes and sizes prove that with proper, thoughtful, and transformational leadership, we do better together. As Minneapolis continues to grow, its residents continue to deserve a leader focused on equitable growth and success for everyone.

Miss the forum last week? You can watch a recording of the live stream below!